SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- "It's his first time ever on a bike," said Kristie Lewis as she teared up watching her nine-year-old son Judah wheel around the gym during the iCan Bike Cleveland program at Notre Dame College on Monday.

Twenty-five kids with cognitive or physical disabilities are participating in the week-long program to teach them how to ride regular bicycles without training wheels.

"This camp is so amazing," said iCan Bike Cleveland program director Rob Fellinger. "It brings a sense of independence for kids who often don't get to be independent. It's a rite of passage to be able to ride a bike and for these kids to be just like their peers."

Kids eight years or older start the week off on stable bikes with rollers and progress to less stable bikes. The back bike tire is replaced with a roller wheel and volunteers follow closely as they ride, lap after lap around the gym. By the end of the week, most kids are riding bicycles on their own.

Partnering with with Achievement Centers for Children and co-directed by Rob Fellinger and Deena Barrett, iCan Bike Cleveland has enjoyed a 80% success rate. Dr. Richard E. Klein established his first bike camp in 1999 in LaCrosse, WI. Last year iCan Bike had over 90 camps serving 2,500 kids. Since 2007 iCan Bike has taught about 20,000 people with disabilities to ride a bicycle. For more info, visit: https://icanshine.org/